GSU Student Material

Pat Gibson--A Gift to Backgammon!

Patrick Gibson is
best known as a tournament director and organizer, and he’s been doing it over
30 years, primarily in the LA area but he’s been involved throughout the US, Europe and the Caribbean
as well.He’s directed over 3000
tournaments in LA since 1977!

Patrick has organized
training seminars, charity events, and major ABT events of all kinds.You will soon see him as Director of the New
Mexico State Championships in Santa Fe
at the end of January.Anyone who has
been to a Patrick Gibson tournament knows how smoothly, efficiently, and fairly
it is run.

Patrick has also distinguished himself as
a player, cashing in many events, and capturing the No. 3 ranking on the ABT
tour in 2007 after winning the prestigious Michigan Summer Championships that
year.

But the main reason I
wanted to recognize him is that his very presence is always such a plus to any
backgammon event.His humor and good
spirit is infectious, and I wanted to know more about him, and I thought my
readers would too.

I asked Patrick to
fill in the blanks for us:

When did you start playing ?

In 1977 we would play games at lunch time at my data
processing job at Ross-Loos Medical Group.We played cribbage --I won, we played Cubic (3-D tic tac toe) –I won, we
played hearts –I won, most of the time whatever we played I won.Eventually a co-worker asked if I knew how to
play backgammon.I said “no” and that
was the beginning of the MFIC of backgammon.

Who are the people in backgammon you
admire, and why?

I admire Norm Wiggins as “the consummate gentleman of our
game”, always calm & cool, never raises his voice, willing to help anyone
with a backgammon problem or question.He takes all of our “teasing” and just keeps beating us, but he’s also
gracious when he does manage to get beat.Another admire-ee is Carol Joy Cole, she is our “lady of
backgammon”.Created the Backgammon
Boutique with everything one might need or want to obtain.Maintains the backgammon CALENDAR, giving
visibility to competitions around the world.Soft spoken but a fierce competitor. Produces the MSBC, our most
attended and competitive backgammon event each year.And, how could we live without the FABN
(Flint Area Backgammon News) for reports, stories, world-wide results,
pictures, and and and.

What is your favorite backgammon
book?

“Backgammon Boot Camp” by Walter Trice is awesome!He explains the concepts and strategies with
great prose and clear examples. Even though I have a huge BG-library, over 100
books, Boot Camp is a real gem, both for review and expanding my knowledge.

What is your biggest backgammon
victory?

I have discovered that I have a 13-year periodic big-win
history.My first major victory
occurred in 1981 in the Intermediate division of the California Open (Sid
Jackson’s event at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles).Thirteen years later (1994), I won the Open division of the San Diego
Grand Prix and thereby won 2nd place in the ABT.My biggest was, thirteen years later (2007),
winning the Michigan Summer Backgammon Championships in Novi (defeating my good
friend and mentor, Ray Fogerlund, in the finals--the biggest event in the U.S. that year
and I took 3rd place in the ABT that year.So I am looking forward to 2020 for my next
big one.

What is your favorite type of
backgammon?

I love to play “tournament” backgammon, face to face.It is more difficult than heads-up money play
or chouette play.But more importantly
to me, it measures your focus, endurance, and surviving the vagaries of both
dice and opponents.

What is your favorite side event at
tournaments?

I really enjoy playing in the DOUBLES at tournaments.Sharing tactics and strategies with your
partner and negotiating when necessary the occasional differences of
opinion.I always learn from and enjoy
the rapport with my partners that I have played with (e.g. Ray Fogerlund, Steve
Sax, Norm Wiggins, Harvey Gillis, Doug Mayfield and Azzam Masarani – all of
whom I have cashed with in the Doubles).

How long have you been competing on
the ABT?

When the ABT began in 1993, I directed two of the tour’s
events, definitely played in at least two (the San Diego
events ) plus probably 1-2 others (Michigan
and/or Midwest).The ABT was a great idea and again we are
indebted to Bill Davis for his leadership and creativity.

Who are your heroes outside of
backgammon?

John Wayne (any movie) and Johnny Wisemuller
(as Tarzan) were my heroes growing up.The CIO (Chief Information Officer) at Kaiser Permanente, Tom
Fleishman, will always be my hero.He practiced his philosophy, when something went wrong, “we do not need
a head-to-roll, but rather let’s find the problem and put prevention in place
to keep it from happening again.”E.g.
he was constructive not punitive.

How much a week do you play
backgammon?

I direct & play in two weekly tournaments. Have done so
for over 30 years.In addition, I
maintain the Gammon Associates’ website –master points, picture albums,
tournament results, etc. (see our website at: gammonassociates.com).With BG email, producing two ABT events and
the VIETOR CUP each year, as well as traveling to others’ ABT events, its many
many hours devoted to backgammon.

Where do you live now?

My wife of 41 years, Carla, and I bought our home in Van
Nuys, California in 1976, just before the real estate market took off.We still live here and enjoy the many options
that exist in Southern California (weather,
entertainment, restaurants, recreation, and all four of our grandkids).

Are you retired?

I retired from the “data processing” (now called
“information technology”) world in 2005.Much of my career was in the “healthcare” computing industry
(pharmacies, hospitals, laboratories, and outpatient services).My last 22 years was with Kaiser Permanente,
the nation’s largest non-profit HMO.

How do you prepare for tournaments?

Review whichever backgammon book I have been studying.Get out my tournament “kit” containing lots
of one-page articles or notes that I have culled over the years.When I prepare best, at which I am not
consistent, I play practice matches, of the same length that will be at the
tournament, against Snowie and go over the analysis of those matches.

What is your best advice for
Intermediate players who hope to improve?

Get the key BG books (Magriel, Trice, Woolsey, Wiggins,
Ballard, Kleinman, Robertie and others), study them, play face-to-face in local
events, ask questions of the strongest players that play locally (Sax, Wiggins,
Russell, Nunez at our Gammon Associates’ weeklies).Take pictures or mark position-cards of the
tough decisions that arise—then run ‘em through your favorite bot.

What are your favorite hobbies and
interests outside of backgammon?

Scuba diving on shipwrecks (my wife says “our house is
decorated in early American shipwreck”);I play competitive cribbage (local club) and occasionally travel to
regional events;I go to track meets,
basketball and ballet recitals with my grandkids.I read a lot fiction, non and some SciFi;
some favorite authors: Patterson, Cornwell, McCaffrey, Cussler, Baldacci,
Wilbur Smith, Michael Gear, …).We also
go to the movies almost every week.

What are your thoughts and hopes
about this new backgammon federation?

Help the USBGF to become the vehicle to promote the study
and knowledge of backgammon (teaching, learning tools, competitions, ratings/statistics,
etc.) for its own sake as an art and enjoyment.Become the player’s advocate and supporting standardization of rules and
procedures.

You are known as a “strict”
director…what are your thoughts on that?

As a director, one must be fair, firm and consistent.I hope that I am. As a player, one must be
respectful, punctual and have good self-control. Yes, as a player I do get
excited sometimes, and with my big voice, can get pretty loud.As a director, I am working on keeping my
voice at a lower volume, hopefully inducing a more calming effect on the
players (and me).

How do you change your game when you
play one of the best players in the world, and how do you change it when you
are playing someone you know to be much worse than you?

When I play Steve Sax at our weekly tournaments, I remind my
self to keep focus and concentrate (sometimes very difficult due to the many
interruptions that occur as I am also the director).My “A-game” is definitely needed.With the rare, much weaker players, it is
really easy to get lax.Therefore if I
get behind in the score (5 & 7 point matches), I will tend to complicate
the positions more ---hopefully giving them more chance for errors in their
play.

What are your pet peeves at
tournaments?

Tardiness with scheduled times and having to track down
missing players when their next match is ready to begin.It is really difficult to keep the big
tournaments (e.g. ABT and multiple day events) on schedule.I feel strongly that it is a lack of respect
for other’s playing time, e.g. all about themselves, not the whole picture.

What are your plans for the future?

Carla is retiring in January 2010 and we plan to do some
traveling, possibly a Panama Canal cruise, probably visit family in Idaho,
North Carolina, see Mystic Seaport Museum, see the fall colors on the East
Coast.For backgammon, I have been hired
to “direct” the NEW MEXICO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS in Santa Fe at the end of January 2010. It is a
wonderful location and I recommend it highly.I am considering changing one of my two annual ABT events to a different
format (currently both are Double-Elimination with Progressive
Consolation);–maybe Swiss or just the
standard Main-Consolation-Last Chance.

Please remember, I am the “MFIC” (my friend in charge?) at
least in Southern California backgammon. We
could not do it without you the players and “yes” you do need my firm
consistent hand to make it work well.BTW__”mfic” came from my working career, which in the 1980’s was used as
a password and as my backgammon directing history began it was to become my
mantra – I am the MFIC.Thanks for
asking!